Disaster drill tests Featherston volunteers | Wairarapa News | Local News in Wairarapa

Victims of the "Featherston earthquake" poured into Featherston Community Centre on Tuesday night, as part of an exercise scenario designed to use skills taught to Wairarapa Red Cross volunteers.

Those caught in the disaster had a range of problems from head injuries and sprained wrists, to being unable to get over the Rimutaka Hill.

Wairarapa Red Cross welfare support team unit manager Lynne Drake said they had been building up to the registration training scenario for some time, which was part of their ongoing training held every two weeks.

She said her and another team member, Fiona Fliss, had been to Christchurch after the two major earthquakes, and emphasised how important the training is.

"It's little exercise we're been working up to because of the fact we've been needed around the country," she said.

"Due to the earthquakes we need to make sure we're up to scratch when we do get called out. Quite often we get called out to assist and and don't know what we are walking into. We get tasked and briefed each day and welfare centre registration process is only a small part of what we do when we get deployed."

Mrs Drake said the Wairarapa Red Cross volunteers were practising their registration skills, which were vital in a disaster to help victims get welfare support such from organisations such as Winz.

"Making sure you get it right is really important," she said.

"If they don't register and they don't have the piece of paper they won't get assistance from a lot of those organisations."

She said Red Cross was always looking for more volunteers.

"It's a lot of work, and it's hard work. When your adrenaline's going you don't notice until you get home," she said.

"It's that feeling that's you're actually doing something to make a difference in people's lives."